Stanzas
by Midnight Mustang
Summary: The unsung lyrics to life in the world of the Four Nations. Moments, thoughts, feelings, and musings. Short drabbles inspired by songs.


AN: I own neither the songs nor Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Well, I had great success with these in the Discworld section, so I thought I'd try it with this fandom. Reviews and opinions are appreciated, flames will be used to start a riot in another one of my stories.

Yes, my taste in music is random. If you don't know a song, look it up. YouTube is a wonderful thing. ;D

Ipod Shuffle Challenge:

**Rules:**  
**1.** Pick a fandom you like  
**2. **Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.  
**3. **Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it ends.  
**4.** No lingering afterwards.  
**5.** Do 10 of these and post them.

Favorite Drabble: #5: "Airplanes"

Least Favorite Drabble: #7 "Fancy"

1. "Love Like Crazy" by Lee Brice

Even after the war, there had been doubts about the leaders of the world.

First off, there was the new Fire Lord Zuko, who had gone from banished prince to leader of a broken nation, who was leading with his girlfriend by his side, and the help of his advisors, mostly Iroh, his uncle who had stuck with him through thick and thin.

Then there was Avatar Aang, who was the undisputed leader of the nonexistent Airbenders, who ruled in the Southern Air Temple and was working on restoring the world to the peace it had been.

then there was the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki, and her boyfriend Sokka, who was a warrior in the Southern Water Tribe.

When asked how they did it, they would all tell you the same thing: Luck, skill, destiny, and friends.

2. "Whisper" by Evanscence

The Northern Water Tribe would never truly recover from the day the Fire Nation broke through their defenses.

Even the city's master waterbenders couldn't stop heal the minds scarred by watching the snow turn black and the ships attack.

Years later, the elders would talk about how Avatar Aang had bonded with the Ocean Spirit to turn away the tide of soldiers at their door.

They would talk of Princess Yue's sacrifice to save the art of Waterbending.

They would attempt to avoid talking about how scared they had all been, how they would never feel quite safe again in their icy home, and how the end of the War had brought peace, but not necessarily an end to suffering.

3. "Our Song" by Taylor Swift

They may grumble and groan and complain about how much they hate them, but none of the members of Team Avatar, past or present, could resist a good party.

Usually they would all congregate on the edges, watching people, laughing and telling stories, until one of them would dance, and soon they would all be on the dance floor, still laughing, still telling stories, but now they would be screaming over the music and basically driving everyone else up the wall.

But everyone caught their infectious mood quickly, glad to have a reason to party instead of a reason to mourn.

4. "Death and All His Friends" by Coldplay

Iroh's life had been, well, miserable.

Let's see, his wife is dead, his son is dead, his brother is trying to take over the world, his niece was insane, his nephew was scarred and banished, and he himself had gone with his nephew into banishment.

Finally Toph got up the courage to ask one day how he kept going.

His answer was brief and heartfelt.

"I was needed. Besides, I was still alive, still healthy, and it seemed inconsiderate of those that have suffered to walk away from whatever chance at happiness I had left."

Toph walked with her already high opinion of Iroh a little higher.

5. "Airplanes" by B.O.B. feat. Hailey Williams

At one point, they had all asked what the Spirits the hell they were thinking.

For Sokka, it started when his father left and ended when they began drawing up battle plans.

For Toph, it started when she realized what life outside her parent's home was like, and ended when she joined Team avatar.

For Katara, it started when she was refused guidance at the Northern Water Tribe and ended when Aang kissed her.

For Zuko, it started when he was burned, and ended after his marriage to Mai.

For Aang, it started when he found out he was the Avatar, and never ended. It is in the monk's nature to be curious.

6. "Undo It" by Carrie Underwood

The night Ursa found out was the night she left.

She had been blinded for years by Ozai's light that he seemed to bend around himself like his element. He used to be fairly charismatic when he was younger, and once he started showing ambitious side that she realized that he was truly a monster.

She knew she had to do something. She wouldn't be used like a puppet, and she was going to make sure that her children wouldn't either.

After the War, she allowed herself the comfort in the knowledge that she had succeeded on one and a half of her intents.

7. "Fancy" by Reba McEntire

Mai had been groomed from a young age to be an aristocrat. She wore the dresses, she acted correctly, and she had the deamenor of a noble.

Her parents were delighted with her "friendship" with Princess Azula. She was the perfect way to get her daughter into the lifestyle of court rule.

Ty Lee, on the other hand, depressed them. She was too perky, too bright, and above all, too happy.

Happiness never seemed to please the nobles. They needed to be either mad or indifferent to get their way.

Sitting with Zuko as his Fire Lady proved a point many would be shocked to know she held to be true: Happiness was the only way to know true success.

8. "Joey" by Sugarland

Katara heard that when you die, you see your life flash before your eyes.

Katara wondered if she was dying now, because she was watching her life go by in high speed.

Or at least her recent life. The life that truly mattered to her.

She watched as a beam of light shot from an iceberg. She watched as a boy with glowing arrow tattoos defended a wall of ice. She watched that boy fight Firebenders, and now she watched him as he was struck with lightning.

On Appa's back, she pleaded with him to open his eyes, wondering if he was seeing everything that she was seeing, and hoping that he saw that he had something to live for.

Because if he didn't, neither did she.

9. "Ride" by Martina McBride

Along their many journeys, Sokka had thought many times about going home.

He thought about leaving the Avatar alone, grabbing his sister and abandoning the Avatar to his fate. No one could really fault them for wanting a normal life, could they? For wanting to be normal kids in the Southern Water Tribe?

But then he would look at Katara, for once laughing and happy, instead of moody and busy like she was in the Southern Water Tribe. Then he would look at Toph, making fun of everyone, but rejoicing that she had people who would tease her back, and then he would look at Zuko, who had trouble following him his whole life. And of course he would look at Aang, forced to bear incredible responsibility but still managing to make the world seem that much brighter.

And then he would think that, while they all may deserve a normal life, none of them would get it, and none of them would want it.

10. "California" by Phantom Planet

After the war, Katara and Aang traveled to many places, holding the hands of the suffering, and celebrating with the rejoicing.

They were hailed as the saviors, and soon they were joined by Sokka, Toph, Suki, Ty Lee, and whenever they could, Zuko and Mai.

They would travel to everywhere they had been on the "Avatar's Tour of the World" as Sokka called it. They relived memories, told stories, and soon they knew were learning more about everyone than they had ever known, and they were learning how deep the wounds from the war really were.

Slowly, but surely, those wounds started to heal.


End file.
